Excavating apparatus.



A. E. LEHMANN.

'EXGAVATING APPARATUS. V APPLIOATION FILED MAY 26. 1909.

Patented Nov. 16. 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

MW V444 ar- ARTHUR E. LEHMANN, or ST. marinas, 'mrssouat.

EXCAVATING areas-ares.

Specification of letters Patent. Patented Nova 13, 1909.

Application filed Kay 26, 1903?. Serial No. 498,466.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR E. LEI-IMANN, a citizenof the United States,residing at St. Charles, in the county of St. Charles and State ofMissouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in ExcavatingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to the bucket or shovel of anexcavating machine, and to improved means combined therewith, firstly,for regulating the depth of cut by the bucket according to the-nature 0f'the material to be excavated, secondly, for automatically adjusting theinclination of the loaded bucket about its pivotal point of suspensionfrom the derrick of the machine at the initial raising of the bucketfrom the ground, thirdly, for automatically dumping the bucket at apredetermined height while being raised, fourthly, for dumping thebucket at any desired point below the said height, and fifthly, forautomatically scraping or cleaning the bucket while dumping, and myinvention has for its object to simplify construction, to insure readyand positive action of the bucket, and to reduce the strain on thehauling and lifting gears of the machine.

The invention consists in features of novelty as hereinafter describedand claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing formingpart of this specification, whereon,

Figure 1, is a side elevation of an excavating bucket or shoyel in thedigging position with the combined parts of the apparatusconstructed-and arranged according to my invention for respectively,adjusting, and dumping the bucket; Figs. 2, 3, and 4, similar views toFig. 1, showing the relative arrangements of the said parts in theinitial raising, and dumping positions respectively,

of the bucket; Fig. 5, a horizontal section to enlarged scale throughthe bail of thebucket on line 5, 5, in Fig. 1, showing the latter(partly broken away) and its appendages in top plan view; Fig. 6, a rearend view of the bucket (partly broken away) and its appendages; Fig. 7,a cross section to enlarged scale through the derrick boom of themachine on line 7, 7 in Fig. 4. showing the auxiliary sheave carriedthereby, and combined gripping device, forming parts of my invention inthe operation of the lifting rope of the bucket; Fig. 8, a top plan viewof the gripping device detached from the boom; Fig. 9, a side elevationto enlarged scale of the adjustable stop on the liftingv rope, seen inFigs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, and forming part of my invention for regulatingthe dumping altitude of the bucket; Fig. 10, a top plan view thereof;Fig. 11, a side view to enlarged scale of the adjustable stop at eachside of the bucket for regulating its inclination when loaded andinitially raised from the ground, and Fig. 12, a horizontal sectionthrough the side wall of the bucket on line 12, 12,-in Fig. 11, showingthe stop in top plan view. 1

Like letters and numerals of reference denote like parts in all thefigures.

a represents an excavating bucket or shovel the body of which may be ofany suitable size, shape, and material, preferably of sheet metal, openat its front end and at the top, and comprising in the present case twoopposite upright side plates 1, and a bottom plate 2 having a frontcutting edge 2 and bent upwardto form the closed rear end of the bucketa as shown, the plates 1 and 2 being united together at their edges byangles 3, combined with suitably shaped yokes or braces 4:, 1, whichstraddle the top and bottom respectively, of the bucket a at. its openfront end and are secured to the side plates 1 thereof.

The bucket a is pivoted externally at the sides and rearward of itscenter of gravity, by pins 5 projecting therefrom, to the bail b whichstraddles and extends a suitable distance above the bucket to forallowing clearance to the latter between the arms of the bail Z) whendumping about its pivots 5. In the upper part of the bail b is pivotedan upright sheave (5 which With the bucket a and bail b is supported bythe lifting rope 0, the latter passing thereunder and upward therefromat its front edge to a sheave 7 pivoted to the derrick-boom d and overthe sheave 7 to the lifting gear of the machine, which being of theusual well-known construction needs no description or illustration;while from the sheave 6 at its rear edge the lifting rope 0 passesupward and over an auxiliary sheave 8 pivoted to the other by atransverse bar or brace 9, being adapted for the coupling thereto of thehauling cable 6, and hereinafter termed the traction members.

For regulating the depth of cut by the front cutting edge 2' of thebucket a in its digging position as seen in Fig. 1, each traction member9 is perforated preferably atits outer free end with an upright seriesof spaced apart holes 1l adapted respectively, to receive thecoupling-pin 12 of the hauling chain or cable e which is operated by theusual hauling mechanism of= the machine, so that in pulling on the cable6 when coupled to the bottom hole 11 of the series as shown,

the bucket a is drawn and caused to dig practically horizontally, orwith the minimum cut into the ground, but when adeeper cutof the bucketa is desired, the coupling-pin 12 of the hauling cable 6 is removed to ahigher hole 11 of the series and thereby constrains the traction members9 downward thereat and causes the cutting edge 2 of the bucket a to sinkdeeper into the ground.

For automatically. adjusting or limiting the inclination of the bucket awhen loaded about its pivotal point 5' with the bail b, at the initialraisin of the bucket a from the ground, eachsi e wall of the bucket a ispreferably perforated near the top with a ongitudinal series of spacedapart holes 13 adapted respectively, for the passage therethrough of abolt 14 by which an outwardly projecting stop f is adjustably fixedthereat to the side of the bucket a, as seen particularly in Figs. 11and 12, the inner or rear end of the stop f opposite to the front edgeof the corresponding arm of the bail b diverging upward from the latter,so that, when raising the loaded bucket a by the lifting rope 0 aboutthe sheaves '6, 7 and 8, and by the auxiliary chain c, the front end ofthe bucket a, owing to the extent ed leverage of its traction members 9to which the chain c is coupled, from the fulcrum 5, is initially raiseduntil the stops f are brought into engagement with the front edges ofthey bail b as seen in Fig. 2. For this purpose also, a longitudinalseries of spaced apart holes 15 are formed through each traction member9, preferably at the top, for the removal of the coupling-pin 16 of thechain c from one hole 15 to a; ather of the series according to thedesired initial tilting of the loaded bucket a therein.

For automatically dumpin the loaded bucket a at a predetermined heightfrom the ground while being raised, the lifting rope c is provided witha. stop g which may be of any suitable construction adapted to beclamped the rope 0, consistin in the pres-- ent case of a'tubular collarIt? naving a top scopes flange 17 of suitable diameter, and madetherewith in halves,, each half having two opposite outwardly projectingears 18 for the passage therethrough in their assembled position ofbolts 19 by which the halves of the stop 9 are fixed together around andtightly clamped to the lifting rope c (as seen in Figs. 1, 2, 3, andparticularly Figs. 9 and 10) at or adjacent-to its connection with theauxiliary chain 0. Dependent from and fixed at the top by rivet-s 20 tothe underside of the derrick-boom d (or equivalent member of themachine) is a casing [L which may be of any suitable construction anddepth, comprising preferably, two opposite spaced apart upright sideplates 21 which are united at the bottom by a floor-plate 21 having asuitable elongated opening 22 (seen particularly in Fig. 8) for thepassage therethrough of the lifting rope 0, the length of the opening22allowing free rearward and forward movement of the rope c, and its widthsomewhat less than the diameter of the top flange 17 of the stop gwhichis so arranged that,.on raising the loaded bucket a .1

by the lifting rope about the sheaves 6, 7, and 8, to a predeterminedheight, the stop 9 will engage the underside of the floorplate 21' ofthe casing h and thereby prevent the further raising of the front end ofthe bucket a, whereby the lifting rope 0 continuing to raise the rearpart of the bucket a through the bail Z), the bucket a will be moved bythe latter until the load acting through its center of gravity causesthe bucket a to fall at its front portion about its pivots 5 into theposition shown by Fig. 3, or dumped.

For dumpin r the bucket a at any desired height below t at lastdescribed, I provide a suitable device adapted to grip the lifting rope0 previously to the engagement of the stop 9 with the floor-plate 21 ofthe easing h, this device comprising in the present case two oppositeupright brake-shoes 23 Y which are arranged within the casing it be foredescribed, adjacent to the sheave 8, one on each side of the liftingrope c in pro):' imity thereto but normally outof contact therewith, oneof the brake-shoes 23 being pivoted laterally by a pin 24 to one end oftwo opposite and parallel links 25 which are coupled at their other endsto the fulcrum-pin 26 of a, lever 2' of the first order having one arm27 projecting upward and coupled at its free end to a rope or chain 28extending in one direction and controlled by the operator of themachine, and to the boom 65 in the opposite direction by a spiral spring29 which in the normal position of the brake-shoes 23, or when free ofthe rope c, is in minimum tension, the other arm 30 of the lever a beingcoupled at its free end by a pin 24' to the other brake-shoe23.

Hinged at a suitable distance beneath the brake-shoes 23 to the sideplates 21 of the casing h on each side of the lifting rope 0 by a pin31, are two opposite and parallel arms 32 between which is axiallymounted i pulling over the lever i by the rope 28 against the tension ofthe spring 29, the. brake-shoes 23 are drawn toward each other by themovement-of the arm 30 of the-lever z' and the links 25 in connection.respectively with the shoes 23, and of the arms 32 about theirhinge-pins 31 as fulcrums so as to grip the lifting rope. c at a pointbetween the sheave 8 and stop g-before the latter has reached thefloor-plate 21" of the casing h and there by prevent its further upwardmovement and cause the dumping of the bucket a at any desired heightfrom the ground below that determined by the stop 9.

.For automatically scraping or cleaning the bucket a while dumping, Ipreferably use'a yoke-shaped scraper-bar 34 which is arranged in asuitable plane within the bucket a with its members parallel and inproximity to the 'walls 1 and 2 of the bucket a, the arms of thescraper-bar 34 being fulcrumed at their freeends by pins 35 in bearingstherefor through'the side walls 1 of the bucket a forward of the bail b.On the outer projecting end of preferably each, fulcrumpin 35 is fixedanarm 36which is coupled at its upper free end, by a link 37 to a pin 38which projects :from the side of the bail b at a suitable distance fromits pivotal connection 5. to the bucket a, the arm 36, link 37, and pin38 being so arranged relatively to the movements of thebucket a aboutits pivots 5 as to hold the scraper-bar 34 in a constant plane, or sothat in dumping the walls 1 and 2 of the bucket a will move- 1. Inapparatus of the class'described; the

combination of an. excavating bucket having its front end open and asuitable cutting edge thereat, means for supporting the bucket inthedigging position,- a traction member fixed to thebucket and projectingforward from its said end, and a cable adapted to be directly coupled tothe said member at 'varying heights respectively,

from the said edge for hauling the bucket and regulating the depth ofcut by the said edge into the material to be excavated, substantially asdescribed.

2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of an excavatingbucket having its front end open, a bail pivoted to the bucket at apoint rearward of the center of gravity thereof, a traction member fixedto and means adapted 'to engage the said bail for limiting theinclination thereto of the bucket when so raised, substantially asdescribed.

j 3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of anexcavating bucket having its front end open, a bail pivoted to thebucket at a point rearward of the center of gravity thereof, a tractionmember fixed to the bucket and projecting forward from its said end,means adapted to be connected to the bail in its vertical position, andto the said member, for raising the bucket at both the said points ofconnection thereto, simultaneously, and means for limiting the saidraising of the bucket through the said member while continuing to raiseit through the bail, for dumping, the bucket at' a predetermined, andvarying heights res ectively, from the ground, substantially asescribed.

4. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of an excavatingbucket open at its front end, a bail pivoted to the bucket at a pointrearward of the center of gravity thereof, a traction member fixed tothe bucket and, projecting forward from its said end, means adapted tobe connected to the bail in its vertical position, and to the saidmember, for raising the bucket at both the said points of connectionthereto, simultaneously, means for limiting the said raising of thebucket through the said member While continuing to raise it through thebail, for dumping the bucket, and means for dislodging the excavatedmaterial from the walls of the bucket while being dumped, substantiallyas described.

ARTHUR E. LEHMiANN.

\Vitnesses EDWARD W. FURRELL',

HAL G. BELLVILLE.

